Protective housing for webs on carding machines



Sept. 15, 1959 G. w. ALLRED 2,903,751

PROTECTIVE HOUSING FOR WEBS ON CARDING MACHINES Filed April 7, 1954 5' INVENTOR {PW & 12AM ATTORNEYS Unite States Patent Ofifloe 2,903,751' PROTECTIVE HOUSING non wEns N CARDING MACHINES George W. Allred, Mayodan, Application April 7, 1954, Serial Nb. 421,631 4 Claims. Ci. 19-166) The present invention relates to carding machines and more particularly to thatportion of the machine wherein the fibers which accumulate on the card clothing of the dolfer cylinder are combed from the surface of the latter in the form of a web or fleece, The comb assembly oscillates at a set location adjacent the surfaceof the doffcr cylinder and the latter rotates past the combs. I,

In cardin machines of known construction, the combed otf web or fleece, which extends for the full length of the doffer cylinder, isdrawn through a trumpet just after leaving the combs which brings about a narrowing of the web, the narrowed web then being passed between rolls from whence it is carried up to a suitable coiling mechanism and then deposited in a can, The web or fleece, especially in its wide form just after leaving the combs, is very light and flimsy, has very little structural strength and the slightest amount of air current coming into contact with the same is apt to interfere with normal operation of the carding process. Moreover air borne foreign particles can very easily become embeddedin the web at this stage. H L

The object of the present invention is toprovide protection for the web as itcomes off the doflfencylinder and is characterized by the provision ofa box-like enclosure adjacent the surface of the doffer cylinder; the enclosure housing the combs and the web subsequent to being combed oif and protecting the latter until it has been narrowed down just prior to delivery to the rolls.

A more specific object is to provide a protective housing for the web, the housing being so constructed as to establish a trumpet through which the web is drawn and narrowed down in width. n v v Still another object is to provide a protective housing for the web and which also contains a safety device adapted, upon a breakage of. the Web just after leaving the combs, to be actuated by the web as it continues to pile up in the housing thereby effecting a stoppage of the carding operation.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages inherent in the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings which represent a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an end view of a portion of the carding machine showing the doffer cylinder, combs, rolls and the protective housing according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the protective housing; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the protective housing taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

With reference now to the drawings, the carding machine is seen to be comprised of a base 10, hearing boxes 11 upstanding upon the base in which is journalled a. horizontal shaft 12 having a dotfer cylinder 13 mounted thereon for rotation with the shaft. A hood 14 covers most of the surface of the doifer cylinder, and the surface of the cylinder is provided with a fine wire clothing 2,9ll3,75l Patented Sept. 15, 1959 15 which removes the fibers from the main cylinder (not shown) of the carding machine as the main and doffer cylinders rotate. In turn, the fibers are removed from the dolfer cylinder 13 in the form of a web or fleece 16 by means of an oscillatory comb assembly comprising a plurality of parallel spaced arms 17, each arm having secured at the outer, free end thereof a comb 18. The combs are aligned in end-to-end relation to form a comb line extending horizontally for the full length of the doflercylinder 13. The comb arms 17 are secured at their inner ends to a rocker or comb shaft 19 which is horizontally disposed parallel with the comb and mounted at its ends in bearing boxes 20, 20' upstanding upon the base 10.

A rotary drive shaft 21 extends outwardly from box 20' and has a pulley 22 secured thereon driven by a belt 23 which in turn is driven from a suitable rotary source of power (not shown). Rotary motion of drive shaft 21 is converted into an oscillatory motion of comb shaft 19 by a mechanism enclosed within the box 20'. This structural detail has not been illustrated since it is conventional and moreover forms no part of the patentable novelty to which the present application is directed. How ever, if more information about the comb box drive is desired, reference may be had to the construction described and shown in US. Patent No. 2,118,975 issued May 31, 1938 to T. B. Hunt. For similar reasons, the drive for the dol'fer cylinder 13 and the main cylinder of the carding machine has not been illustrated.

Aspreviously indicated, the present invention is concerned with the handling of the fleece or web 16 after it has'been removed from the doflcr cylinder by the combs; In previously known machines, as typified by the construction shown in the afore-mentioned Hunt patcut, the comparatively wide web or fleece, after removal from the dotfer cylinder, is drawn through a trumpet to narrow it down and is then passed between rolls from whence it is carried up to a suitable coiling mechanism and then deposited in a can. This web is however very light and flimsy as it comes off the doffer cylinder, it has very little strength, and the slightest current of air coming. into contact with the same is very apt to interferewith normal operation of the carding process.

, The present invention therefore proposes a protective housing for the web as the web is combed off the doffer cylinder, the housing having one side opening to and adjacent t e surface of the doiier cylinder and enclosing the combs, and the opposite side terminating in a centrally located, relatively small aperture which functions as atrumpet through which the web is pulled for delivery to the rolls. The housing not only protects the web against air currents created by air conditioning equipment, drafts from windows and doors, and excludes air borne foreign particles from getting into the web, but also renders more practical the use of fan type cleaners which are arranged for travel on an overhead track about the card room, blowing downwardly on the machines to keep their mechanisms free from lint as well as upwardly to blow off the ceiling.

The housing for the web, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, is seen to be comprised of a box-like structure 25 comprising a bottom wall 26, end walls 27 having slots 28 therein through which the comb rocker shaft 19 is passed, a front wall 29 tapering from each end wall to a relatively small rectangular aperture or trumpet 36 located adjacent the rolls 31 between which the drawndown web 16 is passed, and a top wall 32 which is hinged along its rear edge at 33 to permit access to the interior of the box. The rear of the box opens against the surface of the cylinder 13 and the rear edges 27a of the end walls are iarcuate and conform to the curvature of the periphery of the cylinder 13 so as to prevent any appreciable amount of air from flowing into the gap between the cylinder and the box edges. The housing 25 is carried in the proper position on the base by any suitable means such as the elongated support 34 on which the bottom wall of the housing rests and to which it is secured.

The housing 25 not only protects the web 16 against disturbing air currents but it also functions, in conjunction with a switch actuating means located within the housing, as a safety device which operates automatically to detect any break in the web being combed off the cylinder and stop the carding operation. To this end, it will be seen that a paddle 35 is pivotally mounted within housing 25 by means of bearing sleeves 36' fixed to the front wall 29, the paddle being arrangedcentrally in line with the path of movement of the web 16 through the housing. As shown in Fig. 4, paddle 35 is spaced from and disposed parallel with the bottom wall 26 during normal operation of the machine. However should a break occur in the web 16 in advance of the rolls 31, the web will of course begin to pile up within the housing 25, ultimately creating a downward pressure on paddle 35 sufficient to cause the same to turn downwardly about its pivot and effect an equal turning of the paddle shaft 37 which, as indicated by the legend on the drawing, leads to and actuates a machine cut-off mechanism, not shown, to thereby stop the carding operation. Preferably, the cut-off mechanism would consist of a small switch, the contacts of which would be actuated by the shaft 37. The cut-off switch could be arranged to shut off the complete carding machine, or if desired, an arrangement could be made whereby the carding cylinder would continue to run and only the doffer cylinder stopped. The cut-off switch can control the drive motors for the cylinders if an electric type of drive is used, or the switch can be arranged to energize solenoids which in turn can control a doffer cylinder knock-off or belt shipper in the event that the drive is of the mechanical type taken off a counter shaft by means of a belt and pulley system.

In conclusion it will be seen that the housing according to the present invention provides a maximum amount of protection for the web while in its most fragile form and also serves to exclude air borne foreign particles from the web. Moreover the housing incorporates a trumpet structure and further cooperates with a safety device which functions to stop the carding operation in the event of a breakage in the web after leaving the combs. While the construction for the protective housing which has been illustrated constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that such structure may be departed from in various details without however departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a carding machine, a doffer cylinder, comb means cooperative with the surface of said cylinder for combing the fiber off said cylinder into a web, said comb means including a horizontal comb supporting shaft extending parallel with the axis of said doffer cylinder, and a protective housing enclosing said comb means and web, said housing including top, bottom and front walls extending for substantially the full width of said cylinder and end walls connecting said top, bottom and front walls, said end walls being provided with apertures through which said comb shaft passes, the rear of said housing being open and disposed adjacent the surface of said cylinder, and said front wall being provided with a centrally located aperture defining a trumpet through which the web is drawn off.

2. In a carding machine, the invention as defined in claim 1 and which further includes stop-motion actuating means for said carding machine arranged within said housing and adapted to be actuated by the pressure of the fibers piling up in said housing subsequent to a break in the web being drawn out through the trumpet.

3. In a carding machine, the invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said stop-motion actuating means is constituted by -a paddle member mounted pivotally within said housing and adapted to be depressed by the pressure from the piled up fiber within the housing.

4. In a carding machine, a doifer cylinder, comb means cooperative with the surface of said cylinder for combing the fiber off said cylinder into a web, said comb means including a horizontal comb supporting shaft extending parallel with the axis of said dolfer cylinder, a protective housing enclosing said comb means and web, said housing including top, bottom and front walls extending for substantially the full width of said cylinder and end walls connecting said top, bottom and front walls, the rear of said housing being open and disposed adjacent the surface of said cylinder, said front wall being provided with a centrally located aperture defining a trumpet through which the web is drawn off, and stop-motion actuating means for said carding machine arranged within said housing and adapted to be actuated by the pressure of the fibers piling up in said housing subsequent to a break in the web being drawn out through the trumpet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

